Does bone calcification go away on its own?

September 23, 2025 •

4 min read

While your body needs calcium for strong bones, it can sometimes build up abnormally in soft tissues, a process known as calcification. This phenomenon prompts many to question: does bone calcification go away naturally, or is medical intervention always necessary?

Quick Summary

The reversibility of calcification varies significantly depending on its location and underlying cause; while some forms, like calcific tendonitis, can spontaneously resolve, others, such as mature heterotopic ossification or arterial calcification, are often irreversible and require management of the underlying condition.

Key Points

Spontaneous Resolution: Some forms of calcification, notably calcific tendonitis in the rotator cuff, can be reabsorbed by the body over time without medical intervention.
Irreversible Forms: Mature heterotopic ossification (HO) and arterial calcification are generally irreversible; treatment focuses on managing symptoms and controlling underlying health conditions.
Treatments for Persistent Deposits: When calcification does not go away naturally, treatments like Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) or ultrasound-guided lavage can be used to break down and remove the deposits.
Surgical Intervention: In severe cases, particularly with significant pain or restricted movement, arthroscopic surgery may be necessary to remove the calcified material.
Preventive Measures: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, managing chronic illnesses, and protecting joints from repeated trauma are important for minimizing risk and preventing complications associated with calcification.

Understanding the Types of Calcification

Calcification is a broad term for the accumulation of calcium salts in soft body tissues. It’s important to distinguish between normal calcification, which strengthens bones and teeth, and pathological calcification, which occurs abnormally in areas it shouldn't, including arteries, tendons, or other organs. There are two main types of pathological calcification:

Dystrophic Calcification: This type occurs in damaged, necrotic, or inflamed tissue despite normal calcium levels in the blood. It is often part of the body's natural healing process following an injury, infection, or cell death. Examples include deposits in heart valves or at the site of a surgical incision.
Metastatic Calcification: This occurs due to abnormally high levels of calcium in the bloodstream (hypercalcemia). The excess calcium can deposit in otherwise healthy tissues and is often linked to conditions like kidney disease or issues with the parathyroid gland.

The Variability of Calcification Reversal

Whether a calcium deposit goes away is not a simple yes-or-no question. The prognosis depends entirely on the specific condition. Some forms of calcification are transient, while others are permanent or only removable through medical procedures.

Can Calcific Tendonitis Disappear?

One of the most common forms of calcium deposits is calcific tendonitis, often affecting the shoulder's rotator cuff. The good news is that this condition often resolves spontaneously over time. It progresses through stages:

Formative Phase: Calcium crystals are deposited in the tendon.
Resorptive Phase: The body begins to resorb or break down the calcium deposit, which can be the most painful stage due to inflammation.
Post-calcific Phase: The deposit is completely gone, and the tendon heals.

While this natural process can take months to several years, many patients find their symptoms improve significantly during the resorptive phase.

The Complex Case of Heterotopic Ossification (HO)

Unlike calcific tendonitis, heterotopic ossification (HO) is the abnormal formation of mature, true bone within soft tissues, often following a major trauma like a spinal cord injury or hip replacement surgery. Mature HO is generally considered irreversible. The treatment focus for established HO is on managing symptoms and restoring function, not on reversing the bony growth itself. Prevention is critical for at-risk individuals, and treatments like NSAIDs and radiation are sometimes used to inhibit formation.

Medical and Surgical Treatments for Calcification

When calcification doesn't go away on its own or causes significant pain and functional impairment, medical professionals may recommend various treatments:

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT): This non-invasive procedure delivers high-energy shock waves to the affected area, which helps break up calcium deposits into smaller particles that the body can reabsorb.
Ultrasound-Guided Lavage: Often used for calcific tendonitis, this procedure uses ultrasound guidance to insert one or two needles into the calcium deposit. A saline solution is then used to wash out the calcium, often with good results.
Surgical Removal: For severe, persistent, or functionally limiting deposits, surgical intervention may be necessary. Arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive approach, is commonly used to remove deposits in joints like the shoulder.
Managing Underlying Conditions: For conditions like arterial calcification, the focus is on treating the underlying causes, such as controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. While the calcification itself is often permanent, managing these risk factors can prevent further progression and complications.

Comparison of Different Types of Calcification


Feature	Calcific Tendonitis	Heterotopic Ossification	Arterial Calcification
Location	Primarily tendons (e.g., rotator cuff)	Soft tissues and muscles outside the skeleton	Artery walls
Cause	Not fully understood; possibly due to tissue degeneration	Major trauma (e.g., spinal cord injury, surgery)	Chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis
Reversibility	Often resolves spontaneously (takes months to years)	Generally irreversible once mature	Generally irreversible, managed by controlling risk factors
Main Symptom	Pain, reduced range of motion	Pain, swelling, restricted joint movement	Often asymptomatic until severe; can lead to cardiovascular events
Treatment	Conservative care, ESWT, lavage, surgery	Range of motion exercises, NSAIDs, radiation, surgical removal	Managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes

Lifestyle and Preventive Measures

While many calcification issues are not directly preventable, certain lifestyle choices can support overall health and minimize risk factors for some conditions.

Balanced Diet: A healthy diet rich in green vegetables and adequate vitamin D can support proper calcium metabolism. It's a common myth that dietary calcium intake directly causes soft tissue calcification, but balance is key.
Regular Exercise: Maintaining joint health through regular, low-impact exercise can prevent repetitive stress and injury.
Managing Chronic Conditions: For those with underlying issues like chronic kidney disease or diabetes, working with a doctor to manage these conditions is crucial for preventing complications, including calcification.

For more information on joint health and arthritis, a reputable resource like the Arthritis Foundation provides extensive guidance and educational materials.

Conclusion

In summary, the question of whether bone calcification goes away has a nuanced answer. While certain types, like calcific tendonitis, can be reabsorbed by the body over time, many other forms, such as mature heterotopic ossification or arterial calcification, are not reversible. Treatment, which can range from conservative management to advanced procedures like shockwave therapy or surgery, focuses on addressing symptoms and preserving function. Understanding the specific type and cause of calcification is the first and most important step toward effective management and treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bone calcification is the general buildup of calcium salts in soft tissue. Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a specific and more severe form of calcification where true, mature bone forms in soft tissues like muscles, which is typically permanent once it develops.

Calcific tendonitis is often diagnosed using imaging tests like X-rays, which can clearly show the calcium deposits in the tendons. Common symptoms include pain, stiffness, and a decreased range of motion, particularly in the shoulder.

Dietary calcium intake is not the primary cause of abnormal calcification in soft tissues, and it's a misconception that reducing calcium intake will reverse it. In fact, maintaining a balanced diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D is essential for overall bone health.

Recovery time varies depending on the treatment method and the location of the deposit. For minimally invasive procedures like lavage, recovery can be relatively quick. However, for surgical removal or more advanced treatments, it may involve physical therapy and a longer rehabilitation period to regain full function.

Shockwave therapy can effectively break up and help the body reabsorb many calcium deposits, particularly in cases like calcific tendonitis. While it can provide long-term relief, there is a possibility of recurrence, and success rates can vary.

Calcification can be caused by several factors, including injury, inflammation, infection, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic imbalances. It is often a protective response by the body to tissue damage.

Complete prevention is not always possible, as some calcification is a natural part of aging or the body's healing process. However, managing underlying risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure, and avoiding certain traumas, can help reduce the risk.